"Choo-Choo Express" is a special hour-length episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It premiered on October 25, 2009. It is the sixty-second episode in the series, and the thirty-fifth episode in the second season.
Synopsis[]
Mickey and the gang build a train, so they can carry the professor's non-melting snow from the Mistletoe Mountain to the Clubhouse. Later, they must pick up a variety of passengers for a surprise.
Plot[]
Part One: Mickey's Clubhouse Choo Choo[]
NOTE: Anything in parentheses and in bold is not present on the feature-length version.
The episode begins in the Clubhouse with Mickey greeting the viewers and stating that the gang is on their way. They then arrive with Ludwig Von Drake, who announces that snow usually melts in the warm sun. However, he plans to make snow that never melts, even on the hottest day. Everyone is excited about it, and Von Drake mentions what could be done with it. So, he is going to Mistletoe Mountain with his blimpy blazer to work on his experiment and make non-melting snow. However, he states that once he is finished, there will be lots of snow, but there is nothing big enough to carry it all back to the Clubhouse. The only thing that can carry the snow is the Clubhouse Choo-Choo Train. The cars are located in the garage and the tracks are in the shed. Von Drake then leaves to get the snow, and lands in Mistletoe Mountain. Mickey then goes to the Mousekedoer to get the Mouseketools: a giant button, a ladder, a magnet, and the Mystery Mouseketool.
The parts of the train are the locomotive, which makes the train go, and the others are the train cars; a blue rectangle, a purple circle, an orange triangle, and a green square, which is the caboose. The gang then goes to the shoe garage to get the parts. However, it is messy, and Mickey decides for them to pick out the shapes as seen in the drawing. They find all of them except for the caboose. Donald and Goofy quarrel over the box on top of the caboose, mistaking the box for the caboose itself before Mickey corrects them, setting loose the springs that are inside it. So, Mickey calls Toodles for the magnet, which can attract the springs, as they're made of metal. Donald scoops up some of the springs with his hat, but is pulled to the magnet, prompting the others to pull him loose, albeit with the springs still stuck in his hat. Goofy then finds the caboose. The gang then put the train together.
Afterwards, Mickey reminds Donald that they need train tracks, as without them, trains can't go anywhere. Mickey then pulls the Surprise Switch to reveal the shed, which is where the tracks are. Mickey states that the tracks need to be put in the right order. He carries the blue one, while Goofy takes the yellow one and Donald takes the red one, with a handy helper doing for the latter, to his annoyance. According to the drawing, the tracks need to be put in the order of blue, yellow, and red, but Donald puts them in the wrong order; yellow, red, and blue. Mickey reminds him of the correct order, and the handy helpers put the tracks in the correct order.
The gang then rides on the Choo-Choo Train to Mistletoe Mountain. The train reveals that it can apparently duplicate the train tracks as pieces emerge from the front and the hands on the locomotive set them down in front of it, meaning that it can go anywhere. Eventually, one of the train's wheels falls out of the train and breaks apart. So, Mickey calls Toodles for the giant button, which can also be used as a wheel. The gang then continues to Mistletoe Mountain. However, Mickey stops, as three little pigs are blocking their path. Mickey finds three buttons on the train showing a milk cartoon, a spring, and a hot dog, revealing the sound each picture on the buttons make. The milk cartoon button makes a mooing sound and the spring button makes a boing sound. The hot dog button works, as one chews it. Mickey translates it as the same sound of "choo-choo", causing the pigs to move out of the way.
The gang is about to make it to Mistletoe Mountain when they stop again, as they come across a river. So, Mickey calls Toodles for the ladder, which is used to form a bridge across the river. The gang then arrives at Mistletoe Mountain, where Von Drake finishes making the snow that never melts. He is delighted to see the completed train, and informs the gang of the completed snow. However, Von Drake wonders how he'll get all of the snow to the train. So, Mickey calls Toodles for the Mystery Mouseketool, which is an elephant, who uses his trunk like a snowblower to blow all of the snow into the train cars.
The gang then goes back to the Clubhouse to test the snow. Once there, the elephant blows the snow, and the gang does different activities with it. Von Drake mentions that they can do it any time. (The gang then celebrates by doing the Hot Dog Dance before leaving the Clubhouse and Mickey waves goodbye to the viewers.)
Part Two: Mickey's Train Station[]
NOTE: Anything in parentheses and in bold is not present in the feature-length version.
(Mickey greets the viewers once again, and shares the news that today, Professor Von Drake is bringing his special Easy Freezy Snow to the Clubhouse.) Goofy and Minnie are enjoying the snow so far, and Mickey notices the gang doing different activities. Daisy mentions all of their other friends would like to play in the snow. Mickey reveals that he invited all of their friends to join them for a big Easy Freezy Snow Party. They will pick up everyone and bring them to the Clubhouse on the Choo-Choo Train. Von Drake appears, revealing that he added three new cars for the friends; a heart car, a diamond car, and a hexagon car. Donald is about to hop on the train when Mickey reminds him that they need to follow a train schedule. First, they need to pick up Clarabelle Cow at 3:00, Chip and Dale at 4:00, and a mystery guest at 5:00 before returning to the Clubhouse at 6:00. Mickey then goes to the Mousekedoer to pick up the Mouseketools: marbles, Glowy the Glow Worm, a giant ice cream scoop, and the Mystery Mouseketool.
The gang then heads on the train before Von Drake then reveals another surprise: the Clubhouse Choo-Choo Train Station. The gang then goes to pick up the guests. First, they have to pick up Clarabelle, who is at the Moo Mart, at 3:00. However, Pete stops the train, stating that they can't progress unless they pay him something small and round. Goofy searches his things, but doesn't have anything like that. So, Mickey calls Toodles for the marbles. Pete states that each passenger needs to pay him one marble, totaling six, which is what Mickey does. The gang then heads to the Moo Mart at 3:00 to pick up Clarabelle Cow, who likes the train. She then rides on the heart car with her dog, Bella, before the gang continues to pick up Chip and Dale, who are at the Flower Garden.
However, Goofy's caboose breaks loose from the Choo-Choo Train. So, Mickey calls Toodles for the Mystery Mouseketool, which is a long ribbon, which is used to reconnect the train cars. The gang then makes it to the Flower Garden at 4:00 to pick up Chip and Dale, who ride on the hexagon car, before continuing to Mistletoe Mountain to pick up a mystery guest at 5:00. Once at Mistletoe Mountain, Mickey mentions that the mystery guest is actually two guests who like the snow more than anyone Mickey knows. The gang usually meets them once a year. Donald wants the train to move faster, but Clarabelle reminds him of patience. However, the train stops, as the trail is blocked by a mound of snow. So, Mickey calls Toodles for the giant ice cream scoop, which Goofy and Donald use to dig through the snow.
The gang then heads up Mistletoe Mountain and picks up the mystery guests, which are Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, at the top of the mountain at 5:00. They then ride on the diamond car before the train heads back to the Clubhouse. Pete then interrupts everyone again, having seen the newest passengers on the train. He then decides to give everyone back the marbles they gave him, and Goofy states that there's room for one more. He then extends his car so Pete can fit in it and everyone can head back to the Clubhouse. However, it won't make it there before 6:00, Pete reveals a shortcut to the Clubhouse, which is a tunnel. Since it's dark, Mickey calls Toodles for Glowy the Glow Worm, which is used to light up the tunnel.
Everyone then returns to the Clubhouse right before 6:00. Von Drake tells them that they're just in time for the Easy Freezy Snow Party. He has another surprise, that being a brand new golden star Choo Choo Train Car, in appreciation for picking up all of the new friends at the Clubhouse Choo-Choo. The handy helpers attach the new train car between the hexagon car and the caboose. Everyone then celebrates by going around the Clubhouse. They then head inside the Clubhouse to do the Hot Dog Dance before leaving it as it disappears and Mickey waves goodbye to the viewers.
Songs[]
Cast[]
- Wayne Allwine as Mickey Mouse
- Russi Taylor as Minnie Mouse
- Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck
- Tress MacNeille as Daisy Duck, Chip, and Mrs. Claus
- Bill Farmer as Goofy/Pluto
- Corey Burton as Ludwig Von Drake/Dale
- April Winchell as Clarabelle Cow
- Jim Cummings as Pete
- Dee Bradley Baker as Santa Claus
- Toodles
- Elephant Jumbo
- Kari Wahlgren as Additional Voices
Mouseketools[]
Phase 1[]
- A giant button (work like a wheel)
- A ladder (to get over the water)
- A magnet (to gather up the springs)
- Mystery Mouseketool: An elephant (to blow all the snow into the train cars)
Phase 2[]
- Marbles (small and round for Pete to pay)
- Glowy the glow worm (to light up the tunnel)
- A giant ice cream scoop (to get through the snow)
- Mystery Mouseketool: A long ribbon (to tie the train cars together)
Trivia[]
- In addition to their two songs (the "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" theme song and "Hot Dog!"), They Might Be Giants are also heard during the closing credits with a song specially written for this episode ("Choo-Choo Express").
- After using the first set of Mouseketools, Mickey told the viewers to say "Super cheers" as always, but after using the second set of Mouseketools, he told them to say "Super choo-choo cheers!"
- If you don't count the special being two separate episodes, then this is the only time that the Mousekedoer dispenses two sets of Mouseketools instead of one.
- This episode contains two parts rather than being one full special. In some countries (e.g. Germany), this episode has been split in two standard-length episodes with short transitions, the first called Mickey's Clubhouse Choo Choo and the second episode being renamed into "Mickey's Train Station". This episode is also split into two on DVD, other home media releases, and on Disney+.
- In Mickey's Train Station it was the fourth time that the Mystery Mouseketool was chosen second.
- In the UK, the episode was titled as "Mickey's Clubhouse Choo Choo" in December 2009, and later renamed to its original title. However, in the Disney+ release, it keeps 'Mickey's Clubhouse Choo Choo'.
- Also, in the second part of the episode, the part where Goofy loses the caboose connection with the hexagon cart was zoomed in when it aired in the UK.
- This episode was dedicated "in loving memory of our friend Wayne Allwine", who had voiced Mickey Mouse since 1977, as he died on May 18, 2009, at the age of 62 years old.
- However, many episodes featuring Wayne Allwine as Mickey aired years after his death. Allwine had already managed to record all of his lines of dialogue for the entirety of Season 3 of the show shortly before dying.
- All the guests at the end of the episode participate in the Hot Dog Dance.
- This is also the third (and final) special where Toodles has no face and voice at all. Starting in "Road Rally", not only does Toodles gain a face (like in "Happy Birthday Toodles"), but also gets a voice actor.
- This is the second special in the series after "Mickey's Great Clubhouse Hunt".
- There is a storybook based on this special, but with a few differences:
- Von Drake doesn't visit the Clubhouse at the start of the book. He is instead already on Mistletoe Mountain. Mickey tells the others this instead.
- The giant button wasn't featured among the Mouseketools.
- Finding the tracks, the train's wheel breaking off, the three pigs blocking the way, and the second half of the story is omitted in the book.
- It didn't take the gang long to find the train cars.
- The springs weren't unleashed until the train was assembled.
- It is never revealed what the Mystery Mouseketool was.
- This is the first special to have the audio clips of the characters saying "Oh Toodles" be in separate audio channels.
- The three little pig characters allude to the story of The Three Little Pigs.
- In Choo Choo Express, in the scene where Toodles appears to give Mickey and the gang the giant button, he appears without his ears when he blows his whistle.
Gallery[]
_-_Clip_All_aboard!.jpg "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Mickey's Choo Choo Express (2009) - Clip All aboard!.jpg (16 KB)")
